Initiative
by anonymously-tenacious
Summary: Max does right on his own terms - though its applied behind a mask. All the while making sure his twin is safe, which is his first main priority. [Thundercest]
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He stealthily opened the window to his lair and jumped in frowning slightly at the noise his shoes made as they hit the concrete floor.

Releasing a sigh he licked his dry lips and made for the large monitor in the corner of his lair sided by two smaller ones. Just below the large monitor is a wide table with a variety buttons and touch pads that varied in size and colour.

Getting there he pressed a random yellow button and the monitor flashed to life displaying a list of names with small ID images next to each name.

"VaL, scan for any latest updates on Villain Database" he ordered staring at the monitor intently.

" ** _Good Evening Sir_** " the monitor replied obediently to which he smirked smugly at subconsciously praising himself at his latest invention reminding himself how an A.I [Artificial Intelligence] is the most basic necessity one needs to have in his line of work.

"Likewise VaL" he returned knowing the A.I was already doing his bidding.

" ** _DataBase Scanning Completed Sir_** "

"Thanks Val" he replied crossing his arms and focused.

" ** _Its A Privilege Sir_** " the now named Val replied monotonously although one could distinguish the strong English accent.

Ignoring the A.I for a moment he gazed intently at the screen.

"VaL, conjure up any files on this Hemphis Duran and copy anything you find useful to my smartphone, I'm going upstairs for a shower" he concluded turning and discarding his black suit, utility belt and mask.

" ** _On It Sir_** " VaL replied.

He strolled towards the other side of the lair stealing a glance at a cage perched atop one his smaller work benches. He knew he made a wise choice expanding his lair.

He flicked his feet as his shoes flew off and made for the stairs his body aching from all the extra training that morning before going on patrol.

He pulled a white vest over his head and threw on the closest shorts he could find including his sandals which he rarely wore thrown carelessly near his stairs.

"I really need an in-built shower" he muttered scornfully his hand turning the knob.

Closing the door behind him, his body twitched instincts kicking in slightly due to how the small hallway seemed to swallow his figure which couldn't be helped due to his extensive training which made him extra attentive to his surroundings considering Villains had the habit of ambushing him in the street alleyways of HiddenVille during midnight where one can only depend on light illuminated by the Moon or sharp eye perception.

Shrugging absentmindedly he made for the lounge and stopped momentarily composing himself before falling into character noticing the light in the lounge which meant his eccentric family hadn't gone to sleep yet which meant he needed to keep up his facade and not arouse any suspicions which he didn't doubt for a second everyone had considering him always arriving home late at night or how calm the atmosphere in the house became as him and Phoebe's fights were ranging from rare to none which made it painfully obvious that his presence at home was non-existent, all in all this started occurring within a month.

Phoebe looked up noticing Max emerging from the hallway and fought the the urge not to stare at his developing biceps that glistened in the light probably due to being coated in sweat or his rippling abdominal muscles that were noticeable through his vest, she loved the way it clung to his body show-

She stopped mid thought and realised this was Max-her annoying twin brother she was oogling which made her face contort into a somewhat disgusted frown which Max immediately took notice of considering she was staring at him.

"Ugh, Phoebe you playing expressions again?" he quipped with a playful smirk.

"Yes actually, you see, when your face is in range, my facial expressions tend to go haywire from a range of comical to disgusted" she retorted sending him a smug smile daring him to top her insult.

"Yeah yeah, you know you love this face" he said to which she rolled her eyes at, she averted her attention back to TV monitor, although she didn't deny his claim.

She saw Max from the corner of her eye rummage through the fridge for a few seconds before slamming the handle hard shaking the refrigerator a bit.

"Phoebe?" she turned to him with the most innocent look she could master.

"What's it Max?"

"Have you by any chance seen my Soda Expresso?" he asked with a piercing glare studying her face intently.

"Whatever do you mean Max?" she asked innocently inwardly pleased to have his attention focused on her.

He sighed tiredly skillfully dodging her charade which always ended up in a pointless argument between them routinely.

He scratched his itching scalp which reminded him of a much needed shower.

Phoebe frowned, she knew Max was literally obsessed with his Expresso, she once saw him smuggle a full cartilage filled with Soda cans into his lair a week before. He would at least store two or three in the fridge every morning before readying for School knowing he needed to store them somewhere to keep cool.

In her opinion the refrigerator was the worst option he considered.

"Why do you always get so uptight about some stupid drink anyway?" she asked expectantly awaiting his response.

He instantly took offence to that

"Hey it isn't 'some stupid drink' ya' know" he said readjusting his towel hanging off his shoulder. "This drink rejuvenates my voluptuous body after long hours of pranking and inventing my genius creations" he lied. "..and it keeps my lips soft and firm" he concluded smugly tracing his lower lip to get the message across.

She rolled her eyes but didn't avert her gaze from his lips for a good 5 seconds before raising her eyes to meet his.

"..and what do you mean I get all uptight about it?"

"You froze Dad when he accidentally drank it mistaking it for canned mineral water...you suspended Billy in the air with your telekenisis and kept sending small heat waves to his face using your heat breath telling him to sweat it out after he washed his hands with it claiming it always made his hands feel a thousand times smoother..should I go on?" she asked with deadpanned expression.

"Hmm, if I weren't mistaken I'd say you keep tabs of everything I do Phoebe..." he stopped noticing her fluster if just for seconds.

"As if" but she couldn't help it as her cheeks heatened up.

"Anyway, I'll be occupying the bathroom for the next 30 minutes or so, because this bad boy needs to-" he was interrupted.

"Oh God Max, TMI for goodness sakes" Phoebe pointed out.

Max rolled his eyes but suddenly smirked. "Unless you want to join me of course-" he was cut off again.

"No, gross Max, keep your perverted ideas to yourself, that would be wrong and...and well, disgusting..." she chastised but couldn't help it as images flashed in her mind picturing him in the bathroom without his pants on and the vest acting as a hindrance restricting her access to run fingers along his toned stomach-

"Phoebe?!"

Her subconscious slapped her back to reality.

"Uh, y-you were saying?" she literally wanted to slap herself but negated the urge not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of her brother.

"I asked what you meant about 'my perverted ideas'" he quoted eyeing her strangely. "..what's perverted about you washing my hair?"

So that's what he meant.

"N-nothing...forget I said anything" she asked not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her all stuttering and flustered so she turned to the monitor. "..didn't you have a bath to get to or something? Why are you still here anyway?" hoping to change the course of their conversation.

"You sure you're aren't going through a phase yourself? Maybe some Weirdo phase considering you're a nerd, geek and dweeb at the same time?"

"Max!!!" she bellowed.

"Okay geez, I'm going" he remarked marching towards the bathroom.

\- 32 minutes later -

One Max Thunderman was strutting carelessly through the hallway connected to the lounge until a thought struck his mind.

'Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something...?" he then paused. "..Oh yeah, VaL is probably done copying Villain data from the Hero League mainframe to my..." that's when he realised he completely forgot his smartphone on the kitchen counter while looking for his Soda Expresso.

His fast legs quickly carried him into the lounge, a sharp U-turn only to be presented with a sight nearly sent him into cardiac arrest.

There was Phoebe-his twin sister.

His phone clutched inches from face.

Her mouth hanging open.

Her eyes wide as she stared intently on the contents displayed on his phone.

Which was no doubt the data VaL must have sent him including all his vigilante mission data saved and encrypted into his phone database.

He chose that moment to bite the innards of his lower lip anticipating the worst since he never bothered to encrypt his phone with passwords to restrict anyone access other than him to operate it.

Phoebe chose that moment to avert her shocked gaze towards him.

"Max, what's this?" she asked in an ominous low voice holding up his phone towards his direction although not far out of reach.

"Phoebe, I can explain"

CHAPTER END.


	2. Chapter 2

"That you're dating a non-sup after Mom and Dad forbade us, in order to avoid exposure?" she asked mockingly. "Wait till I tell Mom and Dad." she announced dangling the phone back and fourth.

Max scowled knowingly, and used his telekenisis to retrieve his phone from Phoebe's grasp.

He quickly stole a glance at the content displayed on his phone which was a message from a certain 'Valerie' with little heart emoji's next to the name, details of 'Valerie' were neatly displayed beneath the name such as familial background and whatnot.

'Valerie' the name crossed his mind as his face lit up in recognition.

"Please, as if that would do them any good" he smirked suddenly feeling silly forgetting the fact that VaL was programmed into anything digital he possessed as a means of securital protection in situations such as these were he could forget to encrypt his devices.

Ah, the wonders of technology.

Phoebe frowned, Max had a point. Their parents never bothered with punishing him knowing full well Max's retaliation pranks knew no boundaries.

He turned and trudged towards his slide wordlessly as Phoebe followed him out of the kitchen.

He pressed the switch to his slide turning slightly feeling Phoebe standing a couple feet away from him. "Ugh, what do you want now?" he asked annoyed.

"Aren't you having dinner?"

"Did you have dinner?" He retorted knowingly since Phoebe always went to bed after dinner so there was no reason for her to stay up this late.

She sputtered.

"Don't tell me you wasted your time waiting for me to get home so we have could have dinner together?" he asked knowingly.

"W..well, its not like that-" she felt downtrodden all of a sudden which he noticed of course.

"Give me 5 minutes" was all he said as he slid down missing how Phoebe beamed.

\- Line Break -

Walking into the kitchen Max was inclined to say Phoebe had planned 'their dinner' beforehand, considering how the table was neatly prepared.

He glanced around noticing she wasn't in the vicinity, shrugging he sat down hand instinctively reaching for the fork which was levitated away from his grasp as Phoebe chose that moment to walk into the kitchen.

"You were going to start without me weren't you?" she asked placing his fork back into his hand with her telekenisis as she sat across him.

He shrugged. "I'm hungry, can you blame me?"

"Yes actually, if you'd stop coming home late and had the decency to spend more time with your family, meals would be occasional" she suggested.

He clutched the sides of his plate. "Or I could enjoy my meal inside my lair without any needless disturbances" he retorted.

"No!" she lowered her voice. "I'm sorry, its just-" she relaxed slightly noticing Max chose to stay. "-you never spend time at home, we barely get to see each other-" she was interrupted.

"By 'we' you mean the family right?" he asked chewing slightly with a risen eyebrow.

Phoebe almost kicked herself. "-yes, look what I'm trying to say is tha-"

"That you guys miss me" he stated bluntly.

"N-no, I mean its weird around here without yo-"

"-making a fool out of myself, annoying you, being a disappointment to our parents, being a waste of powerful genetics, the list goes on Phoebe" he stated stoically halfway done with his meal.

Phoebe wondered how he could say all that with a straight face.

"That's not what we think of you Max!"

"Yeah yeah keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel any better" he uttered with food in his mouth.

"...Max what happened to you?" she asked silently not used to this side of him.

"I just got tired with the way things are you know, so instead of interrogating me as is the sole purpose of this 'dinner' I on the other hand have great news for you" he said stabbing into his food looking pointedly at Phoebe who he noticed only ate a small portion of her food.

Flustered due to the fact Max found out the reason behind the dinner she answered nonetheless. "..Which is?" she prodded.

"Its actually good news, I only want two things in return.." he paused for dramatic effect seeing her nod skeptically. "..you do my homework for a month and the last favour will be..covering for me on Thursday at school." he concluded standing up moving his dish towards the sink using telekenisis.

"It depends...wait! You're ditching school on Tuesday? What for?" she asked alarmed.

"..you wouldn't want to know, trust me" he said ominously.

She rolled her eyes at him resting her face on her palm. "So tell me about this supposed good news" she doubted it was anything important, but deep down hope was democratically seizing her heart with anticipation as some type of rival.

Max opened the fridge and retrieved a Soda Expresso shocking Phoebe knowing full well she hid the last one.

"You dear sister.." he started popping the soda open. "..are selected as the fifth member of the Z Force Initiative Hero Squad" he said sipping from his Soda.

Although a bit shaken at his claim she couldn't help but ask. "What's Initiative Hero Squad?"

"Its like a Z Force subgroup composed of five rookie heroes including yourself, the group will be independent but has to adhere to the obligations represented to them by the Hero League, your group will receive specific training from the Z Force to strengthen each individual's prowess, how to handle their powers consideringly and to reach each of your capabilities to their maximum.." he paused gulping down the last contents inside the Soda can. "..you get to be tested on raising your intelligence quotient levels to efficiently carry out missions to avoid unnecessary deaths or casualties on the field blah blah...you know where I'm going with this." he concluded stifling a yawn.

Nodding. "Yes, but how can you prove anything you're saying to actually be true?" she asked still skeptical since Max was known to be mischievous.

"Tomorrow at exactly seven a.m expect a transmission from Evelyn" he said ignoring the way Phoebe glared at him for addressing her superior by her first name. "..even if I did lie, you've got nothing to lose" he said this time allowing a yawn to escape his lips. "I'm going to bed" he announced throwing his empty Soda can in the bin. "Thanks for dinner anyway" he said moving towards his lair.

\- Line Break -

Max awoke to his lair in incognito mode. He yawned stretching and got out of bed. It was a silent morning considering his lair was covered in sound proof barriers which meant literally no sound from the external environment could enter his quarters.

Ah, the wonders of technology.

He stole a glance at Colosso's cage, the bunny was still asleep. He shrugged.

Slipping on his slippers he ran a hand through his hair while walking towards his door.

Opening it he cringed as his ears which were temporarily tuned to the silent atmosphere of his lair were assaulted by shrill screams and shouting down in the living room. He covered his ears and continued his way to the living room.

Before he could fully enter the living room a figure clasped itself unto him, arms sprawled around his neck with its body literally grinding into him with such a force he had to back paddle but thanks to his stamina which kept him upright.

He could feeling hair tickling the surface of his akin on both cheek and neck. The lavender smell gave away the figure's identity.

It was Phoebe.

And by the smell of her hair he deduced she was ready for school and he was not.

Last night took a lot out of him and had the right to sleep in.

Getting back to matters he was feeling a bit uncomfortable with the fact that she was as usual wearing a loose top which allowed her still developing but matured breast to cop his own chest.

He hugged her back although not with as much enthusiasm.

Her heart skipped a beat because she was so sure he wouldn't hug her back, but who could blame her she was happy and nothing could bring her down, literally nothing.

Releasing him she stepped back a bit knowing Max wouldn't appreciate her invading his personal space.

A wide smile kept in place she clutched his hands intertwining them with hers she gazed at his disheveled but attractive hair and face. She couldn't help it.

"Max, I actually in got in! I actually got in!" she yelled jumping slightly their hands still together.

Max frowned.

"Phoebe.." he drawled and she swore not to find the way his jaw loosened at the pronunciation of her name in any matter or sense hot. "You're hurting my hands."

She released her grasp on his hands flushing in embarrassment. "S..sorry" she stammered as he rose an eyebrow massaging his aching hand. "And I remember the favour I owe you"

"You mean the 'favours' you owe me?" he corrected although questioningly.

"Yeah, the-cover-up-thing on Thursday" her eyes lit up in recognition. "Anyway Max thank you.." and in a bold move or whatever you could call it she leaned in and pecked him at the corner of his mouth surprising both of them.

There was no way around it and they both knew what she intended.

"M-max, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." she couldn't finish the sentence.

"Kiss me?" he finished for her as her head dipped deflatedly holding herself. He sighed and tipped a finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze.

Her face expressed guilt and fear, an expression that didn't suit her at all.

He retracted his finger an held her arm instead.

"Look.." he started thinking on how to make this right. "..its fine alright" she nodded but her expression stayed.

Not knowing what to do he yanked her arm as she stumbled towards him.

Their lips met.

She froze and before she could do anything Max had already backed away.

"See? Now we're even, no need to feel guilty anymore" he concluded smirking at her.

"Oh" was all she could say fingers trailing her lips.

Ignoring the flustered Phoebe he shifted his gaze past her and into the living room hearing shouts which identifyingly belong to Nora. "What's going on in there?" he asked walking into the living room.

At the sound of his voice Phoebe snapped out of her dazed state and smiled slightly feeling a bit giddy as she followed Max.

Nora was furious.

Her beautiful bows.

Were obliterated.

Someone burned them, almost each one of them were burned to crisps.

The smell of something burnt woke her up only to be presented to a a pile of ash in the centre of her and Billy's room. She noticed a variety of her colorful bows scattered around the ash some of which were lucky enough not to be singed or half burned.

Her entire collection was ruined and someone had to pay.

What made her even more mad was the fact she had no idea who did this.

Everyone remained oblivious to the fact that one of them were responsible for this atrocity. Billy worsened her mood by stating she must have accidently burned them herself with her heat vision while piling them up to wash them latera.

That was the last straw as her wrath was evoked. She blasted anything in sight. Hank and Barb who were awoke tried calming her down with but to no avail considered Hank, who is the arguably the most powerful Sup in the world was afraid of his youngest daughter. [Chloe wasn't born yet].

Nora was blasting everything.

The couches had holes in them, the ceiling had black spots and some holes here and there and debris was scattered on the floor.

"Who. Burnt. My. Bows!?!" she yelled using her heat vision to blast random objects in sync with everything syllabus escaping her mouth.

That was the fiasco Max was presented to as he entered skilfully dodging the bouncing lasers that would deflect and head his way.

He saw his guitar broken in half and pieces of it scattered next to the monitor table.

That was enough to make him mad.

He froze Nora and walked up to her flicking her on the forehead, hard.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Phoebe announced to herself. At Barb's pointed look she clarified. "I'll defrost her then.." she said defrosting Nora.

"Ow!" she rubbed her sore forehead. "Max froze me!?!" Nora announced anger spiked to its highest.

"Yes I did" Max appeared out of nowhere. "What you gonna do about it?" he said approaching her.

She balled her fists. "I don't know, how about I blind those 'oh' attractive orbs you call eyes" she smiled deviously.

There were many things Max didn't tolerate and empty threats were one them.

"You ready to gamble on your eyes?" he said threateningly shocking them all, his visage practically screamed 'dangerous' and it alarmed everyone.

"Max! You're scaring your sister!" Hank yelled. And it was true since Nora was cowering and nearly whimpering at the death glare Max was sending her way.

Ignoring his father Max retrieved a small blue orb which glowed an ominous cobalt from his pocket.

"M..max I-m sorry for breaking your guitar!" Nora yelled fear clutching her heart eyeing the blue orb wearily hiding behind the hulking protective figure of her father.

Ignoring her too Max threw the orb on the floor as everyone watched it disperse in a burst of blue. Interestingly everyone was slack-jawed as they watched a blue light flicker throughout the room seemingly repairing everything broken.

The light lingered on everything out of place, broken or melted.

The debris laying around separated and floated away to its place of origin such as the large piece of broken wood from Max's guitar repatched itself to what remained of the instrument without any scratches.

Seconds later everything looked anew.

Max was greeted with perplexed gazes.

"H..how did you do that son?" Hank asked approaching Max.

"Well its sort of an Amplified Repair Homing Device or A.R.H.D for short" he answered simply.

"That doesn't make any sense.."

"I, being the evil genius I am.." he smirked. "..created a homing device to give me locations of every rocket I launched in case one lands on distinct environment in space inhabited by intelligent beings apart from our race, unluckily it didn't work, but I tinkered with it and created another invention that repairs the structural make-up of objects according to its atomic density, I fused these two inventions together and voilà!" he concluded.

Impressed. "But what does the homing device do? The repairment I understand but what does the homing device do?" Barb asked still astounded at what her son could do.

"I'm glad you asked...I obtained a sample of Nora's hair as DNA, the device copies the hereditary material's instructional trajectory, therefore if any more of the same molecules are present, for example Nora herself, anything she breaks or melts, substances will be mended back together, after the repairment phase comes the homing phase, I named it the retaliation phase" he said eyeing Nora with a creepy expression.

"The retaliation phase, what's that?" Billy asked. "It sounds painful."

"Trust me Billy it is, I'll demonstrate" he said simply. "Nora I was the one who burned your bow collection" he announced shocking Nora who's lit red anger and fury displayed on her face, fear completely forgotten.

Without hesitation she used her heat vision on Max who skilfully danced around them all as he jumped from different positions in an effort to dodge them all.

But what they all noticed was all the points her lasers hit, nothing melted or broke, instead it flickered a dim blue light before returning to Nora hitting her all over.

"Nora!" Barb and Hank yelled in unison rushing to their downed daughter.

"And that's what the homing device does" he announced. He said smugly. "Don't worry, she'll be awake in a few minutes" he said watching his parents carry a burned Nora upstairs. He turned and glanced at the wall clock. It read 07:53. "Damn only got 47 minutes" he swore but didn't even panick knowing he won't get punished severely if he arrives late at school. Why? Because he was Max-frickin'-Thunderman.

"S..so Max, how many orbs do you have left?" Phoebe asked as Max turned to her.

"How do you know I have any left?"

"Because you're Max, and with such a powerful and successful invention you must have created them in bulk" she retorted.

"..Good point, but I won't tell you how many I have left and you won't find them no-matter how far you search my lair" he finalized. "Anyway aren't you going to be late for school? What are you still doing here?" he asked eyebrow raised.

She found her brown shoes more interesting. "I-thought we'd walk to school together" she replied softly.

"Give me five minutes" he replied running towards the bathroom as a sense of déjà vu hit her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N_Extremely apologize for not updating this fic. Thanks for keeping your follows stagnant.**

 **Initiative**

Max quickly drew the steel bar next to his feet to parry the knife jab, simultaneously forming a fist with his unoccupied hand and planted it firmly into the villain's mid section, who disorientedly staggered back in pain giving Max the opportunity to raise a leg in rotational rhythm and sent the villain spiralling into the alley wall.

Max leisurely walked to stand before the body slumped against the alley wall, quickly readjusting his mask in the process.

"So, are you gonna talk or not?" he asked, relieved the fight was over because it was nearing the late hours of night, and he had to get back home, lest the family get suspicious again.

"You're just a kid!"

Annoyed, Max retrieved a pocket knife from his jacket and hovered it between the thug's eyes.

"See this blade? Its small, like me, but one single thrust from something this small and you're six feet under. Now I suppose you don't want to die with the conscious of being done in by a brat, now would you?" he asked, "I know you work for the villain league, particularly the division that handles inventory, and that you've been receiving c4 mech weapons from a certain arms dealer. Am I correct?"

When the sprawled figure didn't respond, Max inched the tip of the knife further, drawing a bit of blood.

"Alright alright! I'll tell you!"

The blade hovered back into Max's awaiting palm, stuffing it into his black jacket as he knelt to meet the villain's eyes.

"I'm listening."

"L-look, all I know is that we receive new shipment every end of the week in substantial stock-"

"Tell me something I don't know." Max growled out.

"I swear, that's all I know!"

Max sighed, and slid his hand into his jacket, sliding it back out with a syringe in hand.

"What's that?! What are you-"

Max injected the green serum into the exposed vein with perfected accuracy.

The villain seemed disoriented. Max flicked the side of the fiend's head, who composed himself into composure.

"Now, tell me what I want to know."

"There has been changes to the villain league's routine. The league has been receiving anonymous aid from an unknown source for about 4 months as of late."

"Aid?"

The villain nodded. "Financial aid to be exact,"

"Financial aid? Is there a chance the arms dealer may be that same person?"

"I'm uncertain, I work in the inventory division, so I only know more about the weapon's trade portion."

"Alright. So the weapons, aren't they from any known manufacturer of sorts?"

The villain shook his head. "Nothing, the weapons are plain, no brand no nothing."

Max nodded in acceptance. Villains are unlawful, so illegal weapons trade on the black market is done inconspicuously, but what intrigued him more is the third party involved, literally feeding the villain league.

"Tell me, who's commissioning the villain league now?" he asked, knowing Dark Mayhem was behind bars, yet the league was still in function, meaning someone else had to represent or run the evil faculty for the time being.

"A new entrée of about 2 months, Hemphis Duran."

Max stood up. "Is that so?"

The villain staggered to stand up. "Are you working with the hero league?"

"No, I'm not."

"Then why-"

The man slumped to the floor, unconscious – as Max shortened the extension of his rod taser and slowly trudged out of the alley.

* * *

"You're late again."

Max sighed.

"I know."

"Where have you been? And don't tell me _you were at a friend's_ because I called all of them."

He racked his brain. "I was with someone."

When a response wasn't immediate, Max glanced at her.

"Oh."

Her expression spoke volumes. He looked around to find the house empty, drawing his jacket on the couch as he moved to stand before her, playfully nudging her shoulder.

"Dinner together?" he offered with a smirk.

She smiled and nodded, moving for the kitchen with Max in tow.

* * *

"Is this going to become a routine?"

He looked up. "What?"

"I mean, you coming home late. Me, having to wait up for you and having to keep the fact that you're dating a secret from mom and dad." she pointed out. "…not to mention you skipping school. Do you know how much trouble you'll get in if mom and dad found out?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "What they don't know won't hurt them."

Phoebe shook her head in disapproval of his carelessness. He always got away with doing wrong or going against the rules, which itself is a wonder how he never got busted for his mischief considered the number of times he does so.

"I'm sorry."

The unorthodox apology caught her off guard. "What for?"

"You know, earlier when I kissed you."

A stronghold of conviction not to blush when the inquiry was made so straightforward and blunt – failing immensely.

"Its alright." she tried,

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"You're seriously fine with the fact your twin brother kissed you?" he asked with a risen brow.

"Can we please not talk about it, please?"

"Hey, you kissed me first. Atleast I'm apologising for the consequences of what you started." he pointed out, watching as she registered everything in stride.

"It wasn't necessarily a kiss, it was more of a… peck."

"Can you peck me again?"

"Why?"

"So I can maximum rights to kiss you." He said evenly.

"And why would you do that?"

He shrugged.

Phoene knew he was kidding, but decided to bask in his humor. "You really want to kiss me?"

"Would you allow it?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because its wrong and I don't want you to kiss me. Besides, you have a girlfriend."

Max ran a hand through his swoosh. "She isn't real."

Phoebe scoffed. "Right, and when you're not home you run around doing the world good," she said sarcastically.

Max smirked. "So, is that a yes?"

She levelled him with a plain stare. "Max, we're not kissing, end of story."

"This conversation is pointless. You're just in denial. Let's kiss already."

She made to stand up, levitating her plate into the sink nearby. "This weird conversation holds the word kiss for far too many times, I'm going to bed." she announced stepping around the table, but stopped as Max impeded her journey by standing before her. "Out of the way Max."

"Not until we kiss."

"Telekenisis, heat and freeze breath or my foot below the belt. Which would you prefer?" she challenged, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"I'm just messing with you." he remarked, turning for his lair. "Night Pheebs."

* * *

"-is falsifying information from within the hero league." Colosso said, "This is somehow connected, because who ever this is, is staging a constant fledge by using the fact that Dark Mayhem is behind bars to keep the league instilled with firm morale that the villain league is crippled."

Max threw his shoes off. "We'll have to find out whoever this is."

"You're just concerned for your sister."

"Among other mentionables."

Colosso hopped next to Max. "That's patriotic in a sense, caring for family. But she's grown up now, and she's Thundergirl. I'm pretty sure she can look after herself."

"She's the only twin I have Colosso,"

"…And she's the one you love." The bunny retorted bluntly.

Which Max ignored, since denial from his side only strengthened the staunch and firm belief that he had feelings for his sister, in the bunny's perspective to say.

"So, what you gonna do about the anonymous arms dealer? I have seen what c4 mech-tech is capable of Max, and let me tell you, its devastatingly destructive."

"… I'll need the suit."

"After its tweaked with terrestrial absorbent nanotech that is," Colosso pointed out. "Besides, I think its better to snuff the mole misdirecting the hero league,"

"I'm not killing anyone you darned bunny."

"That's what all the real heroes say at first."

"I'm not a hero."

"Anti-hero or vigilante is another name for good doers Max, they remain unknown but they save lives, only difference being they go to extreme measures to get the job done." Colosso concluded as they heard a knock.

Max ignored the philosophical bunny and jumped to the small stair case to walk towards the door, yanking it open to reveal Phoebe.

"Pheebs?"

"You aren't asleep yet?"

"No."

Awkward silence.

And Max knew.

"Its getting to you, isn't it?"

She sighed and looked to the side, "Can you blame me? We're teenagers, its natural, they just don't understand now that they've grown up and forgot their adolescent experiences. Sometimes, I wish we weren't born with powers."

"Why don't you just do it behind their backs?"

"I can't… I don't want to. I want to enter the Initiative Squad with a clear mind and clean sheet."

"Yet you don't think _this_ is wrong?"

"Its limited, so, it can't be wrong." she applied more to herself, not meeting his eyes.

"Alright."

She looked up. "I'm serious Max."

He didn't respond, he pulled her head and for the first time ever, initiated a yearning kiss, which he felt her respond to when her arms paralleled against his chest.

It was meant to be short.

Retracting, Max regarded her. "About enough?"

Phoebe couldn't direct a proper response since the tremendous red on her cheeks darkened by seconds. "G-Goodnight Max."

Max watched her scurry away till the end of the dark hallway.


	4. Chapter 4

Max strapped his watch on,

"Val."

" **Valid sync debugged – link succession."**

He turned to Colosso – who was in his human form.

"Any luck?"

"Not as of late, but I'll try and work on it till you come back. As they say, two minds are greater than one."

Max nodded and hovered his bag into his hands. "Transfer anything you find to the-"

"Boy, I've been doing this before you even developed as a fetus," Colosso remarked annoyed, before smiling ludicrously. "Wouldn't actually mind seeing the bulge the two of you formed on-"

"That's disgusting Colosso, totally uncalled for."

"Says the one who sucks face with sis." he retorted, smirking as Max blanched. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, as long as your girlfriend doesn't-"

"She's not my girlfriend Colosso… Phoebe just, has issues, and I'm helping her out."

Colosso waved a hand as he resumed his typing, a mug of coffee next to the large keyboard. "If that's what you call convincing…"

Max groaned and made for the staircase. "Just… make sure no one stumbles in here and finds you in that form."

 **LINE BREAK**

Max stared at the small screen of his watch – nothing.

He sighed as his thoughts wandered. Silently pondering if the villain in his lair actually managed to hack the hero database and was just agonizing him with the wait of not sending the data to him in spite.

"Max,"

He regarded Phoebe's presence, noticing her state still cached on the previous night's events. "Yeah?"

"You said you your girlfriend wasn't real." she brought up, looking him aside. "Was that true?"

"Would I ever lie to you?" he asked. She tilted her head with risen eyebrows. "Don't answer that." He glanced at his watch. "Yeah, she isn't real."

"Why'd you lie?"

Her expression seemed tight, and he couldn't tell why. "It was a test of trustworthiness."

"You think I don't trust you?"

"Its not that, I just wanted to see whether you'd actually tell mom and dad-"

"Max we kissed last night," She flustered momentarily. "If you're willing to go that far to lend a hand, why would you think I don't trust you?"

"Because I keep disappointing you."

Phoebe went grim, "You changed much. I don't think Iike this new you."

Max clicked his tongue. "So you'd prefer waking up with your hair dyed blue, your toothpaste replaced with scab ointment and your toothbrush raked along dad's butt couch?"

"… Correction, I think I do preferthis new you."

 **LINE BREAK**

Colosso's face which appeared on the interface nodded.

"Its unusual, for the hero league to suddenly be encrypting all its data on each and every hero's file. Background runs are checked, authorized then encrypted with several software programs, so even if we dispelled each and every layered program-"

"They'll know of our intentions before we crack anything, and be able to track us even if we use the incognito method since they'll have more time to disarm it."

Colosso sighed. "There is something odd though."

"What?"

"The file on your father isn't exactly encrypted like the rest of the other hero's…"

"So?" Max asked logically, since Thunderman was a well known Superhero – arguably the world's greatest, there was no need of precautioning any endorse that involves him.

"There's a Thunderman archive inside that specific file, including your entire family's folders, I managed to pass the securital software and," he paused.

"And what?"

"There's no file on you," Colosso informed. "I ran the sideload background on Thunderman, trying to conjure any possibility of a mishap by relating the entire hero database on what they have on your father."

"And?"

"Nothing, to them you don't exist. It says Thunderman only has three kids, Phoebe, Billy and Nora."

"Perhaps its possible they think I'm still pursuing my dream of becoming a villain, so its understandable that-"

Colosso's head shook sideways. "Max, they have data on every villain that pops up on their radar to the extent of small time crooks who have unique abilities and use them for thieving. The background sections date back to the entire lineage, starting with ancestry to the present day."

Max looked to the side, gears turning, mind travelling.

"And that's not all."

Max turned to his wrist. "You mean there's more?"

"Yes, the file on your sister is extremely classified. So classified it surpasses President Kickbutt's admission rights."

"That means only the council has access to them."

"Yes,"

"Something's up."

"To be honest, I think its just courtesy of being cautious since she's affirmed to enter the Initiative Squad."

"There's a reason for everything Colosso."

The villain nodded, before yawning lightly. "I'd worry more about about yourself Max. The fact that the hero league has no record of you - the son of the greatest hero smells fishy to me."

"You're probably right." he agreed, before collecting an accumulative amount of breath and releasing it with a purse of his lips. "Anything else?"

"There's a certain batch of weapons being transferred to the HiddenVille Power Unit at exactly 8pm tomorrow night." Colosso informed, a formidable smile forming on his face. "Guess who's making a debut espionage with a new suit?"

Max smirked.

 **LINE BREAK**

Closing the door, Max ran to his monitor, glancing around to find Colosso absent.

"Colosso?" he called out, "Hey Colosso!"

"No need to shout, I'm right here."

The voice came from next to him, having him jump in surprise, watching as Colosso simmered into view, wearing a silver vest on his shoulders.

"Tell me this is included in the suit." Max remarked, watching the man strap the vest off.

"One of many. The suit will vary between offense and defense, the mechanisms added are prototypical in all sense. All in all its what you'd call _badass._ " Colosso informed.

"Cool."

"Turn me back, Phoebe is on her way down."

"How do you-"

A knock. "Max?"

Boy in question levitated his own version of the animalizer into his awaited grasp and immediately blasted the expectant villain who shrinked and turned into his custom bunny form.

"Yeah?"

"I have your homework."

"My what?" he asked, with a twitch of his fingers, sending his invention and the vest beneath his bed as his sister marched down the small staircase with books in her arms.

"Remember, part of the favours I owed you." she said, gently placing the books into his outstretched arms.

"Oh, right, completely forgot about that." he returned earnestly, "But you didn't have to."

She shook her head and stepped closer.

"I want to, besides, I don't mind keeping your grades up."

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?"

She shrugged. "Not that I remember of."

"Well, if you keep this up, I will be anytime soon." he remarked playfully, feigning hurt when she hit his arm.

"Anyway, will you be going out today?"

He closed his eyes, opening them with an apprehensive sigh. "Why?"

"I realized we never actually hung out like we used to, so I thought we could watch a movie together?" she asked hopefully, clasping her hands together.

Max pondered. Truth be told, she was right, they never got together like they used to, part of him missed that.

The weapons batch will be moving out by tomorrow, meaning he had no reason to go out today, and his suit will only be ready by tomorrow, all the more reason to accept her offer and stay the night.

"Alright." he said, nodding in approval of her offer.

She beamed and leaped to hug him, he wrapped an arm around her back in reciprocation of the affectionate notion.

From Colosso's point of view, the embrace was lengthy, and he could pin point the level of acknowledgement and companionship that reflected on Phoebe's expression.

He noticed her hold her brother tighter against her, the atmosphere feeling too weird for him accompanied by the annoyed thought of his presence being completely ignored.

"Ahem." The bunny cleared its throat in a loud deliberate manner.

Phoebe immediately disembarked from Max, and tilted her head to acknowledge the bunny perched on her twin's bed.

"Dr Colosso." she started, slightly embarrassed. "I didn't see you there."

"How would you when you're too busy fraternizing with pretty boy-"

"Alright," Max interrupted, halting the bunny's insensible words as he turned to Phoebe. "So, I'll see you there?"

Phoebe smiled thinly. "Don't ditch me Max, because I swear on my life if you don't show up-"

Max clutched her shoulders and directed her up the stair case. "You'll unleash your feminine wrath on me and so on." He remarked sarcastically, seeing her out the door as she turned to face him. "I'll be there Phoebe."

She nodded and trudged out of view as he closed the door, turning into Colosso.

"What was that all about?" The bunny asked.

"Just my sister asking me to watch a movie with her, nothing weird about it."

"So you say,"

Max regarded the bunny with an incredulous expression. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll soon figure it out in your own."

Max shrugged and looped the device off his arm.

 **LINE BREAK**

TV time was the opportunity for them to rebuild that connection they once maintained before Max went all impromptu on everyone.

"Remind me to never again allow you to choose the movie, because this," he said, pointing to the movie in play. ", is just stereotypical."

"Unlike you, I'm a hero." she retorted. "Besides, good always prevails and that's how it is and forever will be."

"Says you, but once I rule over this-"

"You'll never become a true villain Max,"

He rose an eyebrow and shift his gaze to the side of her face, confusion settling when her hand met his.

"You'll become the hero I know you are at heart,"

He scoffed, "What, as Thunderman? Because that's already taken."

"You could go with Thunderboy." she reasoned.

"You're just saying that because it'll be easier for you to transition from _Thundergirl_ to _Thunderwoman._ "

She smiled, his words were true.

"You know, I've been thinking."

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to live my entire life as a superhero."

"I figured you'd think about your life when you hit 21, I mean, that's when maturity is at its peak, right?"

Phoebe flinched, having noticed the forced removal of a bloody spinal cord from an unsuspecting character by the villain who was resorting to last resorts in drawing out the supposed protagonist of the movie.

"I know, but think about it, we'll constantly be endangering our lives in order to prolong others by keeping them safe."

"Imagine dad's expression when he hears you say that, hanging up the cape, ha!"

Phoebe frowned. "He'll just have to understand that we are people first, then heroes, we too have lives to live."

Max felt the controversial atmosphere deepen.

"I'll grow up into a woman, and at a stage of my life I'll have the desire to build a family of my own," she looked at Max who nodded pointedly as her hand tightened its hold against his. "…with a man I'll solely love with my entire being."

That statement wrought a painful tighten to his chest.

"… And have a child, maybe two or three."

Max groaned. "Phoebe, you're too young to be this sentimental about life."

She smiled, nudging his shoulder as an excuse to get closer to him. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Will you find your desired dark empress and settle sometime in your life?"

Max immediately pondered. "Sure."

His vague response tempted her to scruffle fingers through his swoosh, earning a dirty look.

"I'm serious Max."

"You are?"

His own hand slapped his face.

"Jerk."

He smirked as their eyes maintained the monitor. "I don't know, nowadays blondes are hard to come by."

"She doesn't necessarily have to be blonde you know." she reasoned. "I mean, in society, blondes are more probable in destroying relationships or raise children on their own.

"Let's pretend you didn't just say that."

Phoebe huffed and leaned her head against his chest, prompting his arm to hesitantly snake around her mid.

"I'm glad you agreed to spend time with me."

"I'm just glad you aren't crying through all that girly gibberish."

"You take me for granted Max, you know that right?"

He nodded. "Yet I love you."

She didn't respond.

"Phoebe?"

"Yes?"

"Don't make this weird, please."

"You just said you love me… no one ever told me that. The fact that _you_ did," she breathed a sigh into his sweatshirt. ", really means much to me."

"Yeah,"

A rocking silence.

"Do you think it will be weird to fulfill this moment with a kiss, maybe?" she asked, insecurely looking up at him.

"I-uh…"

Phoebe remarkably used her inflated boldness and rose her head to cut the distance by connecting their lips.

Pressing her hands against his firm sides, Phoebe deepened, wanting more, not just the occasional speck of a kiss that didn't last.

But he retracted first, with a surprised sharped release of breath.

She tread her fingers on his cheek.

"I've been thinking about this all day." she whispered dreamily.

"But-"

"I know, strange thing is, it doesn't feel wrong." Phoebe met his eyes. "It doesn't feel like I'm kissing my brother… it feels different."

Her fingers slid through the space between his.

"Doesn't it?"

He chuckled aimlessly. "I thought I was the only one."

"I-what do we make of this Max?"

"No idea," he returned, wondering how far everything got to this point. "Seriously, from our bipolar selves, now kissing. What's next?"

"I don't like the way you think… its disturbing." she remarked, "Besides… I'm in a way, getting used to this."

Their lips met, not fazed by the nonexistent familial aspect as their tongues acquainted for the very first time in the most romantic, sinfull kiss.

"It feels so pleasant."

"Phoebe, what are we doing?"

"I don't know," she paused. "I don't want to know."

Their tongues reacquainted, the smooch carrying the specks of odd familiarity, including the alluring pleasantness.

Max firmly planted his hands on her thighs, sensing no physical rejection, he went further, rubbing to feel her underwear garment. She palmed his facial cheeks, intent on carnally savoring the taste of mouth.

They separated with a resoundable smack. Phoebe tapping his hands, making him aware of their placements as he regretfully vesseled them away.

"I dread the next stage of whatever this is." she said, voice eager, looking dazed, lost in the moment, feeling their shared breath against the back of her mouth.

Max didn't say anything, his labored breathing heavied as he glanced to see the rolling credits on the monitor.

"We better get to be bed."

"… Already?"

"Its late Phoebe."

"You're right."

She got off up from him and blushed, still holding onto his hand.

"Max?"

He stood up, his brain jumbling to process what Colosso told him earlier, and the illicit actions between him and his sister, who's lips and body were the last things he wasn't allowed to touch or feel – it was most incomprehensible.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," she said softly, on her tiptoes to bid him with a short sensual peck. She turned and rounded for the stairs, stopping momentarily to see him still standing there.

Max assured himself this wasn't going to happen again, things were spiralling out of control, crossing boundaries he wouldn't dare.

"Max,"

He looked up.

"I really hope we can do this more often... Goodnight."

He didn't feel so sure anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

"I guess this is the part where you sneak out and I keep myself busy until I see you return?"

Max pulled the zip till his chin, turning around to see Phoebe leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

"I don't understand, you're timing me now?"

"For you, I only care."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"What do you mean?"

"You always called me annoying, portrayed me as this stupid, obnoxious character that always gets in your way." he remarked, walking towards the refrigerator. "Whatever changed your opinion of me?"

She followed him until the kitchen island.

"You're only bringing up the negative aspects of our relationship. Is that really what you're basing this on?"

"Picture you kissing me, or us kissing, back when all we used to do was bicker." he suggested, seeing her find it difficult to release a coherent counter. "That's what I mean."

"New slate."

"What?"

"New slate." she repeated. "We start anew. No more arguing or try to put each other down. Instead, we support one another, be there for one another, and most importantly..." Phoebe clutched his hand, threaded hers with his. ", love each other."

"Last one have a double meaning?"

"Depends."

She watched him drink from his favourite soft drink, shaking his head side to side in disapproval.

"I mean it Max, we can finally reestablish our relationship properly this time."

"I think you're ignoring the incestuous part of that so called relationship Phoebe."

"You're telling me you're too bothered by the fact that the wrong girl is swaying you off your feet and invading your heart...sensually?" she asked, pouting with a palm to her cheek.

He glared.

Her pout deepened.

He still glared.

She bat her eyes in a slow blink.

The glare remained.

Her lips quivered.

He couldn't take that look.

"I hate that look."

She chuckled with mirth, meeting him at the crossed arc of the kitchen and living room, grasping onto his arm. "So, twin bonding at nine, ten perhaps?"

"Do we have to? I mean, what we are doing is detrimental to society? To our parents, don't you feel its wrong?"

"You never cared about doing wrong Max? And since when did you care about what society deemed right or wrong?" she retorted.

Surprised, he raised an eyebrow. "What's gotten into you?"

"Is it wrong to love you?"

"Is it right to love me?"

"Is it wrong to express what I feel?"

"Is it right for you to feel what you feel for me?"

"Is it wrong for me to value you more than life itself?"

"Is it right for you to sound so obligated to feel the way you do for me?"

"Is it wrong just because _you_ say its wrong?"

"Is it right for you to discredit my opinion of a matter that directly involves me?"

"Is it wrong to be honest with my brother?"

"Is it right to justify your claim because of what we already share as siblings?" he concluded strongly, stepping to move out of the house.

Not wanting to part on foul terms, Phoebe called on him.

"Max! Wait!"

She sighed out of relief when he stopped as she reached him, turning him to face her.

"This is exactly what I don't want - us, fighting." she pointed out softly. "I don't want you walking out that door mad at me."

"Then make things right, stop all of this before mom and dad find out." he stated. "I'm even surprised they haven't ran into us making out, Billy and Nora included."

"Will it make you feel better if we did it privately?"

"The fact that we do it in the first place bothers me Phoebe!"

"So, are you saying that if I kiss you now, you won't kiss me back?" she asked decisively.

"I-uh."

"I thought so."

He was already in her clutches, stifling a surprised gasp when she instantly made to connect their lips.

Max reclaimed his lips. "What are you doing? Anyone can see us-"

"No one is home. Its just the two of us."

"It still doesn't make it right."

Phoebe cupped his cheeks and offered an exhale-kiss, stealing the air right out of his mouth leaving him panting with wet glistening lips.

"I'll wait for you."

He scoffed, easing his breathing. "As if I have a choice."

* * *

Max clad in black jeans, consisting of reinforced smooth polyester, with straps to his thighs on both legs.

Short black sleeved shirt with two identifiable darker slashes cutting across the sides of his ribs to his stomach, a vertical strap on the left side.

Belt with a horizontal encase strip around his hip level, a horizontal black mask on his face across his eye level.

His feet were covered in high top black combat boots. A small transmitter tightly clasped around his left earlobe. Small wrist panel watch attached on his wrist.

Last but not least were the black fingerless gloves he wore.

From up close he looked intimidating because of the mask contorted in a glare, that and the muscular protrudent of his frame.

Though precautions were in place to null his identity, such as the added adhesive feature of the mask to avoid forced removal, thus preventing exposure. And his hairstyle, a roughish but neat high top with conditioned sides, further asserted by the fact his hair was pitch black.

A small ominous black dot on his Adam's apple representing a small molecular micro-electronic decodable chip, which functions similar as a regular voice modulators, enabling him to change the nature and tone of his voice.

Looking himself over, Max nodded and made an inhumane leap over the wire fence of the HiddenVille power unit. Landing, he made no sound, thanks to the sound absorbent soles beneath his boots.

The transmitter to his ear beeped.

 _ **"Initiating stealth mode."**_

He simmered out of view, to apprehensively jog around the corner of a steel barricade overlooking the road which lead to the gate of the power unit.

"Maximize perception range."

The mask concealing his eyes harboured tiny mirroring binoculars over his eyes, enabling him to view further distances, proved when he saw two identical vans down the main road, heading to his position.

 **"Enhancing motility."**

"Thanks VaL." he said, taking position as the watch on his wrist interfaced a holographic area landmark of his position, notifying of the two red dots representing the two vehicles.

He watched the first van reach and stop, a cloaked figure stepping out of the vehicle to stand atop the car, raising a hand as the fence opened.

Max theorized. _Controls metal._

The van drove inside, followed by the other. Several cloaked figures stepped out of both vans, moving back to retrieve large rubber compartments which Max deduced held the weapons.

The figure which opened the gate maintained his position atop the first van to close the gates, before jumping down, moving for the structure next to the power plant.

Max stepped closer.

To see the opening of a large steel barricade, where the silver boxes were carried into, including the vans which were driven inside.

Max motioned inside, a careful distance behind one of the vans, inhaling lightly as the barricade closed, about the same time the lights inside flickered on.

The room wasn't what Max expected.

In the centre of the room was a large generator, with steel pipes on both sides, flanking a large drill tube which furthered through the roof above.

Large steel tables and chairs, monitors and the likes.

He watched the dubbed _magneto_ float to stand on one of the tables to address the rest.

"Start on the output emissions distributed throughout the city. Connect the outage to the c4 software." he droned out in a distinctive male voice. "Start the sequence on all weapons, scans are permitted for accuracy, revamping will be done in two weeks when the last batch is shipped." he informed, "Advance."

Max watched as the cloaks fell off, revealing unrecognisable middle aged men, all wearing similar black uniforms open the compartments.

Cautious, Max trudged to the nearest operational table, watching the clicks and flicks of switches turn on the mechanized weapons.

The weapons case was open, revealing a modem and a motherboard, with numerous electronic pathways all leading to the same direction, particularly where a connected pod was correlating information to a computer. Numbers and letters running sequences as the men typed in rhythm.

Max dunked his fingertips underneath the table.

"VaL, copy entire softwares on this computer." he whispered, the tips on his fingerless gloves emitting a faint blue that flickered over the entire system case of the computer.

 _ **"Done."**_

Max retracted, stepping back to get a clearer view of the largest monitor in the corner of the room. Displaying the power lines around HiddenVille.

The leader he presumed, _magneto,_ stood before the monitor with his arms behind his back. Turning when one of the men called out.

"Sir, emissions on the border are dysfunctional-"

"Not to worry chap, that's taken care of. Stillinski already sent a squad of qualified technicians to handle the problem. It will only be a matter of patience and time until HiddenVille is ours." he said, turning back to stare at the large monitor.

"What about Oscar Plain sir?"

"He's of no hinder to our plans as long his involvement with the Hero League remains off record to any other parties."

"He's forcing protocol 477. Won't the Hero League get suspicious considered his rank?"

"That's to say you don't know the original head commissioner is out of the equation."

"...If she is, then who's the current head?"

The cloaked figure turned to regard the man. "I think you're overstepping your boundaries chap. Tell me, you aren't planning on sabotaging our operation are you?"

"Of course not sir!"

"Then see yourself back to work!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

The worker scurried away as Max surveyed the inner vicinity.

 _Great, they're smart enough to operate with no surveillance cameras._

Max saw himself step towards the closed entrance, behind one of the vans.

"VaL."

 **"On it sir."**

One of the workers raised an eyebrow in curiosity when he saw a faint flash of blue behind one of the vans, before shrugging offhandedly and resumed his typing.

* * *

"How long is this going to take?"

"About an hour or so."

"Can't you do it any faster?"

"Gee, blame me for feeling disoriented." Colosso sarcastically remarked, already on a roll to decrypt the software Max provided him.

Boy in question pulled a sweatshirt over his head, stepping next to Colosso.

"They are planning something big, I just know it."

"Of course they are, if it includes power lines all around the city, it means whatever they're attempting will be done on a large scale."

Max nodded. "A part of me wishes it to be large outputs of energy sources to enable entry for foreign species from other dimensions, you know, like through a portal or something."

Colosso spared him a cursory glance. "You're a sick kid Max."

"That's just my wondrous imagination Colosso." he retorted, "On another note, _magneto_ mentioned something about the league's commissioner being out of the equation."

"Either dead or captured and being held hostage." Colosso replied.

"Who is the current commissioner of the league?"

"Kickbutt."

Max tilted his head.

"But she isn't the one spearheading the spoils of the league to the villains."

"How do you know that?"

"Kickbutt only has authority over the Z-Force and its entrée - handing out and overlooking missions, nothing more nothing less." The villain informed. "The mule is someone of higher ranking, the bosses, in league with the hero council, the ones who make individual decisions on a more authoritative level."

"...What?"

"Since the local authority has knowledge of the existence of the league and its supposed aims of providing protection for human kind, the bosses are allowed to make decisions that influence the city, such as pleas to build more hospitals, roads, firms and whatnot. That's the extent of their power."

"With that much power, they may as well just run the government."

"You're telling me."

Max sighed. "I miss the times when heroes remained unanimous and inconspicuous yet still saved lives."

"Welcome to the really world buddy." Colosso quipped. "Anyway, your girlfriend-"

"Colosso."

"-I mean your sister, has been looking for you."

Max nodded.

"Tell me, how does it feel kissing someone whom you shared a womb with?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm not judging, I'm just asking, and I have to say Phoebe is growing into-"

"Colosso, I've seen the sites you visit, so anything you saying is disregarding."

The villain glared sideways. "You've been snooping through my browsing history?"

"Please just finish what I'm tasking you to do." Max bit out, trudging up the stairs.

* * *

"Max."

He rose his eyes.

"This is a first."

"What do you mean?"

"Having to see all of you together in one place." he said, sitting down on the couch next to a smiling Phoebe. "Kind of rare."

"How would you? When you always pull the disappearing act and return home late." Hank replied. "I'm curious, where do you go when you're not home?"

Everyone looked at him.

"I won't tell what you won't believe, that way I won't be lying to you."

Barb nodded, "True."

"So, what we watching?" he inquired, trying to catch up to the content in motion on the television screen.

"Nothing," Hank said, standing up as did his wife and younger children. "In fact, we were all going to bed."

"Dinner is in the oven honey, your sister will dish out for you." Barb informed, ushering her younger children to follow them upstairs. "Goodnight."

"Yeah, good night." he muttered, watching them leave, turning to his twin who wasted no time in pushing him into the kitchen. "Is it just me or are our parents acting weird?"

"They aren't acting weird Max." Phoebe clarified, moving to reheat his food. "So, what's up? You came home earlier than usual." she pointed out.

"Yeah, things didn't actually turn out accordingly like I hoped they would, but not everything was that bad." he explained.

"Oh, that sounds like a job."

She placed his food before him, watching him blow a shallow freeze breath over the steaming plate, cooling it as he cut into the meat with a stupendous thrust of his hand.

"Its not a job. Its just some extramural after school activities I partake in."

"You, Max Thunderman, do something productive with your time after school?" she mocked in disbelief. "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe what you want Phoebe."

The female twin between the two smiled as she silently watched him eat with an intense gaze.

"Phoebe, you're staring, and its creeping me out."

"You should feel flattered."

"Hardly, if you weren't my sister," he shrugged. "...maybe."

"So, you're inadvertently calling me appealing to your tastes?"

Having finished the last portion of his food, Max levitated his plate into the sink, standing up to stretch his arms, as the fridge opened, his arm cordially fishing for one of his soft drinks.

Phoebe followed him into the living room, waited for him to take his seat, before plopping onto his lap.

"Phoebe! What the hell?"

Phoebe felt the wet spill trickles on her arm, finding his glare amusing.

"What are you doing? What if someone walks down here and finds us in this position?"

"You worry too much." she said, leaning in for a kiss. "Besides, it's not like we're doing anything wrong."

"Phoebe."

She met his glare with an even stare, "Why are you being so uptight Max? Give in like the rest of you boys do and just take advantage of the moment."

"I don't recall guys giving into any scenario which included getting intimate with their sisters."

"God, you're so unbearable."

Phoebe ringed the lowers of his jaw and initiated a sinful gesture, which her brother had no choice but to reciprocate, hands already having discarded the can to the floor in favour of casually seeking warmth from the skin on her stomach, fingers scratching the low fabric of her bra.

Out of breath, Max's eyes flickered to her face, to see the mesmerizing face that belonged to the one person in his life that had a certain hold over him - an unrequited authority that governed him - overruling the entails of everything he stood for.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she inquired softly. "You finally accept the fact that this is to be?"

He scoffed and looked to the side.

Truth be told, Max was afraid, of everything that included Phoebe getting too close and attached to him.

Phoebe sensed his apprehensiveness, taking a hold of the sides of his face to meet his eyes. "Is it safe to say I always had a major crush on you?"

"Seriously?"

"I'm serious, back when we used to argue, I always thought it was cute the way you became frustrated when one of your inventions failed, especially when you got all red in the face," she giggled when he squint his eyes in disapproval. "And when you slept, I'd often sneak into your lair and take pictures of you, so adorable."

Somehow that statement, further asserted by her calmed expression wrought a funny clench to his chest.

"Yeah?"

"True."

He felt his face reach hers for another lengthy kiss, without familial aspects, the odd familiarity becoming second nature as the kiss intensified, to be broken by the silent beeping of his long forgotten wrist watch he forgot to take off.

"What's that?"

"Ah...nap time?"

She sent him an incredulous look.

"What? I know I'm a guy but I need my beauty sleep too." he defended, as they divorced from one another.

Shaking her head, she held his hand and bit her lip, brazenly peering into his eyes. "Dream of me?"

"Not up to me to decide." he countered, before impeding that vulnerable look she always made to curb him in. "I'll try."

She nodded and grazed her lips along his, incessantly running her tongue along his bottom lip, before bidding him with a lengthy embrace.

"Good night."

"You too."

They separated as she fleeced upstairs.

As he made his way to his lair, Max couldn't help but think that...

Maybe Colosso's aimless claims were on poin


	6. Chapter 6

"Go on.."

"Its computerized, transitioned from a basic pulse nuclear weapon to an energy transference type of device with stored dormant power."

"What?"

"It contains nuclear properties, its basically a sort of battery that contains unsurmountable energy to the extent of gigawatts, but the type of energy is unknown but very volatile from what those readings say."

"And the only way to induct a transfer is through software sync between the c4 and a computer to relay it to a host source?" Colosso offered his bit, having understood some of the vague description from the information they copied. Although he was somewhat a genius in his own right, he and Max both knew that his apprentice far surpassed him in terms of acute intelligence.

"Yes."

"You think maybe they're using it to power up whatever tube you mentioned?"

"Doubt it, the level of power they're planning on using is magnitude enough to fuel a time machine, if they were planning on powering a time machine that is, but no, that tube looked more of an emission filter to me."

Colosso nodded. "A fluctuation of unknown power surges throughout the city may cause derails to the stability of electronics that require larger outputs Max."

"Supermarkets, schools, hospitals, we get the picture here."

"I propose you find out more before you take any action."

"Yeah, and in the process look more into Phoebe's case you know, this whole 'Initiative Squad' rubs me the wrong way."

"You do that, while I worm my way through the Villain League database on anything Hemphis Duran."

"We have to do it fast."

"Two weeks tops."

"Right."

An ensuing silence.

"...Speaking of Phoebe."

"What about her?"

"Where do you plan on going with, whatever you have going on?"

Colosso swiveled its way beside Max.

"Lovey-dovey before an ensuing storm with your twin nonetheless. Aren't there certain boundaries to what the two of you get at?"

"We haven't even done anything that may require or placate boundaries Colosso."

"As long as the two of you still carry the same last name, I can guarantee that whatever the two of you have going on won't last, and you know it."

Max sighed with mirth, he couldn't disagree with the bunny's logic even when his heart's content leeringly thumped for the other side which chose to love his twin more than what she stood for on their pedestal family tree.

"Max?"

He tilted his head when the subject of their discussion strode down the stairs towards them.

"Hey." she greeted, reaching the two.

"Hi." he returned, leaning closer as Phoebe's eyes widened, misreading the notion considered Colosso's presence, that was until he spoke up. "Is that soufflé topping tacos I smell?"

Phoebe managed to recede the heat to her face and nervously quivered a reply. "Yes. I happened to remember it was your favourite so I ordered some for us, you know, and eat them over homework." she said with a sincere smile that reached her eyes.

"Or, how about I eat while you do both our homework." he suggested, before narrowing his eyes. "That's what we agreed on Phoebe."

"Would it hurt to help me out by doing your own homework just this once?" she pleaded.

"Don't give me that look Phoebe, it won't work on me."

She held his hand, attempting an adorable pout.

"Please, you're so far behind with your notes that it would take an entire week to catch up with me, not to mention you still have the freelance practicals you have to do yourself since I know nothing about softwares."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"Why do you do it exactly? Last I checked it wasn't in the school context."

"Its a hobby of mine,"

"You're willing to study something not beneficial to your academic scores, yet you refrain from putting in effort in your _actual_ school work?"

Colosso would have risen an eyebrow. "You know, the bond the two of you share is questionable at times."

Phoebe noticeably stiffened, which her twin noticed as he stood up.

"Can we just go? I'm hungry from all this talking."

She nodded, keeping their hands threaded, transversing the contact into a pull as she motioned for the stairs.

xXx

"Is everything going according to plan?"

"I see you highly regard our relationship since you chose to meet with me in person without that disguise."

A grunt. "Is everything coming along on your end?"

"Yes, its only two weeks and we'll have compiled all the hardware we need for our take over to commence, reassured the main threshold on the borders is perfectly maintained and the source safely secured."

"Good."

"I assume you gave the go ahead for protocol 477?"

"I did, it will lessen suspicions that way."

"I happen to share similar sentiments, the last thing we need is for certain individuals to sniff where they aren't supposed to."

"What about the boy?"

"In time that won't be an issue, if everything goes according to plan the boy will be within our grasp."

"Do you think he's ready?"

"More so, given it has been 16 years if I'm not mistaken."

"Seeing as everything is relative and in order, I'll be taking my leave now."

"Do me well Oscar, see to it that everything is cordially maintained, for great rewards await you and I in the near future...in the _near future indeed."_

xXx

"The algorithmic pattern is difficult to grasp, basically nullifying any chances of understanding the ideology without an experienced handler to guide you." Max explained, dangling the hard drive before her.

"Hackers?"

"Yes, they could numerically amount any money they have and store it into this drive with securital software of course. So if I were a cyber thief, I could physically carry my money around, and depending on the type of wall software, your transactions won't pop up on any authority radar, no matter how large the sums are."

"Wow, that's impressive." Phoebe complimented.

"Its not surprising because society is changing, so people have to adjust accordingly with it, they gain exquisite skills to simplify their way of living. This is just another way of gaining money."

"Common for thieves and people who are too lazy to look for decent jobs... particularly villains."

Max nodded, placing the device into his pocket, hearing the click of a lock mechanism which compelled him to look at her locked door.

"What's going on?"

Phoebe was already in the process of tugging off her blouse, discarding it to the floor, pushing him on the bed, straddling his thighs, casually drifting his shirt over his head.

"Why aren't you stopping me Max?" she whispered sensually.

"Pft, and pass up the chance of seeing you shirtless? No way." he retorted, eyes maintained on her bra.

She leaned down and kissed him, not wasting time as her tongue effortlessly slid into his mouth, digging her fingers into his scruffy brown hair.

Max ran his hands along her back, to her stomach, fingers easily lifting the soft hem band of her dress around her waist as his hands drifted into the soft forbidden fabric.

"Max!" she gasped in surprise, retracting in a backward tumble if Max hadn't wrapped his arms around her.

"Sorry, you're just so warm and alluring I couldn't help myself." he justified calmly.

She found his apology somewhat sincere, pressing her face into the nook of his neck. "Don't touch me there, at least not yet."

"At least not yet? Does that mean I'll get to-"

"Yes, I wouldn't deny this body to you Max."

"...I can't believe you just said that, weird."

"In return you wouldn't deny me any part of you as well."

"Reasonable."

Regaining composure, Phoebe hastily pressed her lips against his, reinstating the intimate moment.

Max let his hands play with the strap on her back, rubbing the smooth skin that surrounded her neck, thumbs dragging along her collar bone to dig into her nigh deep nooks, divorcing from her lips to nibble on her ears, leaving her a whimpering mess considered his not so gentle bites.

"Phoebe honey, are you in there?"

Max was victim to the floor as Phoebe scrambled for her blouse, deep takes of air to recompose the erratic heaves of her chest, sending Max a mild apologetic smile, pecking him on the lips before beckoning to her window.

"Uh, yes mom! I was just, um, doing my homework!" she offered, levitating her book filled bag on her bed. "Can I help you with something?"

"There is a transmission from President Kickbutt for you."

"Oh, I'll be down in a sec!"

"Do hurry!"

Phoebe readjusted her blouse, glancing to the side to see Max already vacant from her room, using her telekinesis to close her window as she trudged for her door.

xXx

"I'll be moving away from home?!"

"Don't sound so surprised Phoebe Thunderman, this is the sub squad for the Z-Force so its only logical to train you somewhere secluded."

"But, but-"

"Wasn't it your ambition to become part of a legendary squad such as the Z-Force?"

"But this isn't the Z-Force!" Phoebe bit out.

"You're right, it isn't the Z-Force, but it is a squad which prepares you to enter the A team Phoebe."

"So I'll be moving back to Metroburg in about two weeks?"

Evelyn nodded. "For exactly three months. Your physical location won't be disclosed to any of your friends or family. You're only allowed to contact your family once a month. Other than that, we are to foresee your progress which will be evaluated on a daily basis without any personal distractions. Any other questions?"

Phoebe visibly slumped. "I guess not."

Barb consolingly ran her hand across her daughter's back, understanding the expectations that weighed on Phoebe's shoulders including the sacrifices that came along with it, moving away from home for three months being one of them.

"I'll see you in two consecutive weeks Phoebe, until then, spend as much time with your family as you possibly can."

"Are you kidding me?" Max chimed in. "The exams are literally a few days away from next week, how exactly do you expect her to prepare for those exams while busy bodying herself by spending time with us and in between her studies?"

"It can't be helped Max Thunderman." Evelyn replied stoically. "And since we're on the topic, there is still one spot open on the Initiative squad."

"What? You want me to fill that spot?"

"Its a mere suggestion. The decision and choice lies solely on you."

"I think I'll pass."

President Kickbutt spared Max a lengthy even look, before clearing her throat, seeming to inch towards the screen, her unusual indifferent expression remnant on Max.

"All individuals, male or female, who possess traits or unnatural abilities that discern them from the normal human are to fall under a board of legislation that acts as overseers for these individuals as a foreign specie. In today's society, there exists two of them, namely the Hero and Villain League, who train and guide people with extraordinary abilities." Evelyn informed without batting an eye. "Some individuals often pose a threat to society and innocent people around them, they're called villains. They do wrong, and don't think twice about taking innocent lives or going against the law. Hence units such as the Z-Force are created, to impede the unlawfulness and bring justice to those who break the law."

Max frowned. Evelyn's stare tightened.

"Do well to remember that the powers we possess aren't deemed a right, but a privilege. Even if you're some vigilante prancing around town at night, saving lives or helping people, you still need to represent a faction."

Max toned his expression not to give anything away, he was sure as crucial as the conversation seemed, no one knew of his secret identity. The Hero League may have their inkling suspicions but unfortunately confirmation will be denied courtesy of him blocking any minor _popping ups_ of his name on their radar, or any for that matter.

"In your case, you've reached what we call _maturation._ "

"... Maturation?" Max asked, a frown cemented on his face.

"Yes, its a term used for people with powers when they fully recognise the extent of their abilities, and are mentally aware of them, both pros and cons. It will only be a matter of time before the board is aware of your powers and will inquire as to where your loyalty lies. You'll be under surveillance without your knowing, and if the board decides you're indecently using your powers for petty crimes or simply not using them at all, you'll undoubtedly be deemed unworthy of carrying said powers then be stripped of them, rendering you powerless."

Phoebe spared her twin a glance, before turning her eyes back to the Thunder-monitor. "Wait, you can actually do that?"

"Without a doubt, its within our rights to do so." President Kickbutt replied, her sights trailing back towards Max. "In your case Max Thunderman, you're a rogue. You seem unfit to carry your powers unlike your sister, who's reached her potential thanks to mentoring from her father, further enhancing the utilization of her powers, a perfect candidate for the Z-Force."

"So...are you gonna take my powers away?"

"You mistaken me. I'm not the one who condones such acts, rather 'those' above me."

"Let me get this straight. If I'm not inducted into either league, I'll inadvertently cause a scramble for power among the Hero and Villain League?"

"Yes, whereas the Villain League will either turn you evil or use your powers for their own gain."

Max crossed his arms. "What about the Hero League?"

"The Hero League would entrust your powers to a more suitable candidate."

"I'd like to see you try and take my powers from me." he stated with defiance.

"Max-"

"No Hank. I'm just being logical. I mean think about it, we were born with our powers, naturally, we didn't acquire them, if we did, it'd be within their rights to do so, but this, even I have to say is purely bull crap." he declared bluntly.

"You're entitled to your own opinion Max Thunderman, but do well not to forget your powers are not a right, but a privilege." President Kickbutt concluded, turning to Phoebe. "As such, I'll see you in two weeks Phoebe Thunderman."

The transmission ended, as the family fully registered Evelyn's words.

"Remember when you said you wished we weren't born with powers?"

Phoebe nodded.

"I'm starting to think you weren't far off."

xXx

"What's that?"

Max didn't turn at the sound of Colosso's voice, instead he kept his fingers on the keyboard, attending to the back up feed from the Thunder-monitor.

"President Kickbutt's recent transmission to Phoebe." he replied, not taking his eyes of the desktop monitor.

"Oh-kay, what are you doing now?"

"Running a conversation filter."

Colosso perched himself on the bench next to the computer, tilting its head to fully view the content on the monitor. "You think I wasn't exaggerating when I said Evelyn might be apprehend and held hostage or...killed?"

"Yes, which is why I'm running a filter on that transmission." Max said, seizing his fervent typing, beckoning Colosso to watch closely. "Tell me what you find unusual, even if its minor." he suggested, placing nearby headphones around the bunny's head, his other hand pressing the space bar.

 _A few minutes passed._

"Well?" Max inquired, removing the headphones from the bunny's ears.

Colosso sighed dramatically. "She seemed different. Throughout the entire conversation, she addressed you and your sister by your first and last name. She didn't crack a smile now and then as she usually does. She was too strict, seemingly forceful and too formal. And linguistics... as far as I can tell these bits prove that she was somewhat off."

"Exactly." Max exclaimed. "All these little traits define a person, you acquire them, and once you do, they're literally difficult to lose, much like verbal tics, for example, when she ends a transmission, she's usually like _Super President Kickbutt! Out!_ " he mimicked with a snort.

Colosso realized. "Come to think of it, I just realized I didn't hear her say that."

"Right. And the placement of her hands."

"Don't think so, they were intertwined. I saw that."

"Watch carefully," he replayed the feed and paused. "Usually, her right thumb would be between the nook of her left hand, but when you look here, you see that its her left thumb that's between the nook of her right hand."

Colosso took time to accept everything in stride, before facing Max. "..Max, what are you implying?"

"This isn't Evelyn." Max answered, pointing to the desktop screen, displaying a suspended image of the current Hero League commissioner. "...this is an imposter."


End file.
